Toy having slotted axle and elastic strip drive means laterally insertable therethrough

ABSTRACT

A power unit for operating a toy or the like which comprises a pair of wheels supported on a longitudinally slotted tubular member, with the wheels fixedly secured to the tubular member to rotate therewith, an elastic strip or rubber band extending through said tubular member and being anchored inside said tubular member to prevent rotation of said strip relative to said tubular member at said anchoring point, and a toy body or housing to which said tubular member and wheels are rotatably secured, with said toy body or housing having means to which the opposite ends of the strip or rubber band are anchored to prevent rotation of said strip or rubber band at said opposite end anchoring points during the winding and unwinding of said rubber strip. The unwinding of said strip causes the toy to be propelled.

United States Patent 1 Kupperman et al.

[54] TOY HAVING SLOTTED AXLE AND ELASTIC STRIP DRIVE MEANS LATERALLY INSERTABLE THERETHROUGH [76] Inventors: Sam Kupperman; Dennis I. Kupperman, both of 4319 Main St., Skokie, 111. 60076 [22] Filed: Aug. 18, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 172,840

3,221,446 12/1965 Keck ..46/206 Primary ExaminerF. Barry Shay Attorney-Max R. Kraus [57] ABSTRACT A power unit for operating a toy or the like which comprises a pair of wheels supported on a longitudinally slotted tubular member, with the wheels fixedly secured to the tubular member to rotate therewith, an elastic strip or rubber band extending through said tubular member and being anchored inside said tubular member to prevent rotation of said strip relative to said tubular member at said anchoring point, and a toy body or housing to which said tubular member and wheels are rotatably secured, with said toy body or housing having means to which the opposite ends of the strip or rubber band are anchored to prevent rotation of said strip or rubber band at said opposite end anchoring points during the winding and unwinding of said rubber strip. The unwinding of said strip causes the toy to be propelled.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures TOY HAVING SLOTTED AXLE AND ELASTIC STRIP DRIVE MEANS LATERALLY INSERTABLE TI-IERETI-IROUGH BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the objects of this invention is to provide a power unit for a toy in which power is stored by the winding of a conventional rubber band strip and in which the strip is held against rotation at several fixed anchoring points so that the toy will be propelled by the unwinding thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a very simple and inexpensive power means for a toy by the BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a toy embodying the power unit of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view partly in section of the wheels and the shaft which houses the elastic rubber strip; I

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG.

4; and p FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-.6 of FIG. 4.

The toy to which the invention can be applied may be of any character such as a toy car, toy vehicle, toy snowmobile, and the like, and said toy will comprise a housing or body which is generally designated by the numeral 10, having a pair of spaced sides 12 which are generally parallel with respect to each other. The housing or body 10 is preferably molded of a plastic material and has a shape and configuration conforming to the particular toy to be made. For illustrative purposes, the toy body is shown in the form of a toy car, although it is not so limited and may be made in any form or shape, and the numeral 10 will refer toany such shaped toy body. The toy body at the front thereof is provided with spaced bearings 14 which are integrally molded with the body and extend downwardly from the hollow body to receive a front axle 16 to which wheels 18 are secured. The bearing 14 is a forked member into which the axle is pressed to be retained therein. The wheels and axle are freely rotatable at the front end of the toy. Instead of a pair of wheels 18 as shown, a single wheel may be supported in any other manner at the front-end of the toy body.

Adjacent the rear of the toy body or housing 10 and integrally formed as part of the sides 12 are inverted L- shaped members generally indicated at 20 which extend laterally outwardly of the sides 12. The vertical portion 22 of said member is provided with an open ended central slot 24 which receives the ends of the rubber band strip. The L-shaped members 20 serve as the anchoring means for the ends of the rubber band.

Spaced inwardly from the opposite sides 12 of the body 10 and extending into the interior hollow portion of the body and formed integrally with the body are downwardly extending bearings 28 which have forked ends to receive the annular journal 30 formed as part of the traction wheels 32 to retain same. Each of the traction wheels 32 has an integrally formed hub 34 with a central bore 36. The journal 30 is an extension of the hub 34 and the bore 36 extends through the journal. A shoulder 38 is formed between the hub and the journal.

A tubular member generally indicated at 40 serves as an axle for the traction wheels 32 and as a housing for the rubber band generally indicated at 42. The tubular member 40 is open along its length, as indicated at 43, so that it has a generally arcuate shape, as shown in FIG. 6, for the major portion of its length, with the central portion 44 of the tubular member shaped to provide a slot 46 between spaced planar walls 48. The central portion 44 serves to anchor the central portion of the rubber band 42 when inserted therein so that the rubber band cannot rotate at said anchoring points. This is likewise true with the opposite ends of the rubber band which are anchored in the slots 24 to prevent turning of the rubber band at said anchoring points. By anchoring the rubber band at said intermediate and opposite ends, the rubber band may be wound or twisted between said anchoring points, as shown in FIG. 3, to provide the motor power when the rubber band untwists or unwinds.

A traction wheel 32 is applied to each opposite end of the tubular member 40 and is positioned thereon so that the bore 36 has a friction fit with the tubular member so that as the traction wheels rotate they will rotate therewith the tubular member. The journals 30.

rotate in the bearings 28. The wheels 32 may have a rubber traction band 50 positioned therearound.

The motor power for operating the'toy comprises a single strand or strip 42 of a rubber band and same may be any conventional rubber band which has been cut so as to'provide the single strip 42. The cross-section of the strip is generally rectangular and is readily locked against rotation at the anchor points. The term rubber band" as herein used refers to the strip 42.

The strip 42 is inserted into the bore 36 of the hub of the wheel and is passed into the tubular housing 40 from one end and then extends across the top or entrance to the slot 46 at the intermediate portion and passes through the tubular housing on the opposite side of the intermediate portion and through the bore of the other traction wheel 32. The opposite ends 42' of the rubber band extends exteriorly of the anchoring members 20. By pulling on the opposite ends 42' of the rubber strip 42, the central portion of the strip will be pulled into the center slot 46 of the tubular housing 40 and into the tubular housing so that'the rubber strip which extends through the tubular housing will be confined within the housing 40.

The traction wheels 32 and tubular housing 40 form a unit and the joumals30 of the traction wheels are readily snapped or pressed into the forked bearings 28 to be rotatably supported in attached position in said bearings. Rotation of the traction wheels 32 simultaneously rotates the tubular housing and since the rubber strip 42 is anchored at the center and at the opposite ends, as described, it will wind up when the traction wheels are rotated in one direction and will when the traction wheels are released cause the rubber band to unwind to propel the toy.

The rubber band may be wound by turning the traction wheels or by placing the toy on a surface and moving it over the surface rearwardly to cause the rubber band to wind and then releasing the toy so that the rubber band propels the toy forwardly as the rubber band unwinds.

With this invention there is thus provided a toy which is very simple, very inexpensive to produce, and which provides amusement for a child. The toy can be made very inexpensively to be given away as a premium if desired.

If the rubber strip should tear or break then it may be replaced by another such strip, therefore, the motor power for the toy is readily replaceable by the use of conventional rubber bands.

What is claimed is:

1. An elastic band power unit for operating a toy comprising, a generally tubular member with a pair of wheels secured thereon, said tubular member having a longitudinal slot in the wall of said tubular member extending the length of said tubular member and adapted to receive a strip of elastic material which is inserted into said tubular member radially of the axis of said tubular member, said elastic strip being longer than 'said tubular member so that when inserted in said tubular member said elastic strip extends laterally of the opposite ends of said tubular member, said tubular member having means anchoring said strip and holding said strip against rotation of said anchoring point, a toy body to which said tubular member is rotatably secured, said toy body having means adapted to engage the opposite ends of the strip to anchor said strip and prevent turning of said elastic strip at said opposite anchoring points, said wheels and tubular member adapted to be rotated in one direction to wind said strip within said tubular member so that when the said wheels are released said tubular member and wheels will rotate in the opposite direction as said strip unwinds to propel the toy.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the anchoring means in said tubular member comprises a restricted portion thereof having a pair of spaced planar parallel walls.

3. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the tubular member is of a generally arcuate shape.

4. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the means on the toy body adapted to engage and anchor the opposite ends of the elastic strip comprise open ended slots whereby the opposite ends of the elastic strip can be slipped into said slots through said open ends.

5. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the elastic material is a single strip of a rubber band.

6. A structure as set forth in claim 5 in which the strip of rubber band is rectangular in cross-section.

i I I 

1. An elastic band power unit for operating a toy comprising, a generally tubular member with a pair of wheels secured thereon, said tubular member having a longitudinal slot in the wall of said tubular member extending the length of said tubular member and adapted to receive a strip of elastic material which is inserted into said tubular member radially of the axis of said tubular member, said elastic strip being longer than said tubular member so that when inserted in said tubular member said elastic strip extends laterally of the opposite ends of said tubular member, said tubular member having means anchoring said strip and holding said strip against rotation of said anchoring point, a toy body to which said tubular member is rotatably secured, said toy body having means adapted to engage the opposite ends of the strip to anchor said strip and prevent turning of said elastic strip at said opposite anchoring points, said wheels and tubular member adapted to be rotated in one direction to wind said strip within said tubular member so that when the said wheels are released said tubular member and wheels will rotate in the opposite direction as said strip unwinds to propel the toy.
 1. An elastic band power unit for operating a toy comprising, a generally tubular member with a pair of wheels secured thereon, said tubular member having a longitudinal slot in the wall of said tubular member extending the length of said tubular member and adapted to receive a strip of elastic material which is inserted into said tubular member radially of the axis of said tubular member, said elastic strip being longer than said tubular member so that when inserted in said tubular member said elastic strip extends laterally of the opposite ends of said tubular member, said tubular member having means anchoring said strip and holding said strip against rotation of said anchoring point, a toy body to which said tubular member is rotatably secured, said toy body having means adapted to engage the opposite ends of the strip to anchor said strip and prevent turning of said elastic strip at said opposite anchoring points, said wheels and tubular member adapted to be rotated in one direction to wind said strip within said tubular member so that when the said wheels are released said tubular member and wheels will rotate in the opposite direction as said strip unwinds to propel the toy.
 2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the anchoring means in said tubular member comprises a restricted portion thereof having a pair of spaced planar parallel walls.
 3. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the tubular member is of a generally arcuate shape.
 4. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the means on the toy body adapted to engage and anchor the opposite ends of the elastic strip comprise open ended slots whereby the opposite ends of the elastic strip can be slipped into said slots through said open ends.
 5. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the elastic material is a single strip of a rubber band. 